Why the study?
Frailty is common in older adult patients with colorectal cancer and associated with adverse postoperative outcomes, but its predictive value on anesthesia recovery outcomes needed elucidation.
Does frailty predict prolonged anesthesia recovery in older adult patients undergoing curative colorectal cancer resection?
Does frailty predict prolonged anesthesia recovery in older adult patients undergoing curative colorectal cancer resection?
Frailty is an independent predictor of prolonged anesthesia recovery in older adults undergoing colorectal cancer resection, highlighting the need for tailored perianesthetic strategies.
May warrant frailty assessment to tailor perianesthetic strategies in older colorectal resection patients; extends evidence beyond age alone.
PURPOSE Frailty is a common and serious older adults syndrome in older adult patients with colorectal cancer and is frequently associated with adverse postoperative health outcomes. This study aimed to elucidate the predictive value of preoperative frailty on anesthesia recovery outcomes in this population. DESIGN This is a prospective study. METHODS This prospective study enrolled 125 older adult patients scheduled for curative colorectal cancer resection at the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University (Guizhou, China) between December 2023 and October 2024. Participants were stratified using the Fried Frailty Phenotype scale into three distinct cohorts: nonfrail (n = 24), prefrail (n = 55), and frail (n = 46). Comprehensive data collection encompassed baseline characteristics, intraoperative parameters, and four key recovery milestones: spontaneous respiration resumption, consciousness recovery, extubation readiness, and time to full orientation. Statistical analysis incorporated both univariate comparisons and multivariate linear regression modeling. FINDINGS At baseline, the nonfrail group was younger than the prefrail and frail groups. Multivariate regression showed that both age and frailty independently predicted prolonged recovery (P < .05), with frailty exerting a stronger effect (β = 0.367 to 0.474 vs β = 0.192 to 0.353). Notably, prefrailty was only associated with delayed return of spontaneous respiration (P < .05). Univariate analysis revealed significantly longer recovery times in frail patients across all metrics (P < .001). Compared to frail patients, prefrail patients had similar times for return of spontaneous respiration and recovery of consciousness (P = .790; P = .029), but shorter times for extubation and orientation recovery (P < .017). Likewise, nonfrail patients showed overall faster recovery than frail patients (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Frailty independently predicts prolonged anesthesia recovery in older adult colorectal cancer patients. The differential impact of frailty severity on anesthesia recovery times highlights the necessity of tailored perianesthetic strategies based on frailty stratification to improve recovery trajectories among high-risk older adult patients.
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Li et al. (2026) studied this question.
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